A Mixed-Method Study to Explore Patients' Perspective of Self-Management Tasks in the Early Phase after Kidney Transplant

Abstract

-The qualitative findings showed that patients were greatly challenged by the effort to manage the upcoming instability, which has a persistent broad impact on their lives. Managing emotions comprised dealing with uncertainty, disappointment, and frustration. Additionally, patients had to manage changes in self-perception. Managing life roles mainly involved an adaptation of relationships, occupational changes, and interactions with health care providers. Taking medications, managing symptoms, integrating new behaviors, and understanding one's course of disease were further tasks. Quantitatively, self-management tasks that were perceived as a challenge by at least half of the patients were primarily tasks from the questionnaire section "managing stressful emotions and self-perception." The synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings indicates that self-management programs for kidney transplant recipients should focus on strengthening patients' self-management of emotional tasks and on regaining stability in daily life.